1. Field of the Invention:
Fiberoptic endoscope with particular reference to improvements in means for effecting remote articulation of ends of small diameter medical and industrial fiberscopes.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art:
Remote articulation of the distal ends of medical and industrial fiberscopes is commonly provided. This is either articulation in one plane only (two-way) or articulation in all planes (four-way). Two-way devices require two wires leading from the fiberscope tip to its proximal end and prior art four-way devices require four wires, two for each of two mutually perpendicular planes. The structures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,568 and 3,091,235 are respectively exemplary of two-way and four-way devices.
In small diameter fiberscopes, e.g. bronchoscopes of 5 to 6 mm in overall diameter, the heretofore trade-off of image-conducting and object-illuminating fiber space for manipulating wires, or vice versa, has posed the problem of selection between larger or more intense image conductance and four-way, two-way or no remotely-controlled distal articulation of the fiberscope. For example, the advantage of four-way articulation has required the sacrifice of a number of light-conducting fibers and/or biopsy channeling whose total cross-sectional area corresponds to that of four control wires and their guides.
Accordingly, in the interest of increasing image size and/or illuminating bundle size in universally articulable fiberscopes of restricted overall diametral sizes, it is an object of this invention to accomplish remotely-controlled distal articulation in all planes (4-way) with less than four control wires.
More particularly, it is an object of the invention to accomplish four-way distal articulation of a fiberscope with a three-wire system which affords greater than usual space for fiberscope light-conducting fibers and/or channeling.
Another object is to provide improved distal vertebration in an articulable fiberscope.
Still another object is to overcome the heretofore complexity of fiberscope remote control apparatuses by structural simplification and reduction of component parts.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.